The mystery of Nidhivan: Do Radha and Krishna really engage in the Raas Leela at night?

Nidhivan is an extremely sacred and mysterious religious place in the holy city of Vrindavan. It is believed that even today, Lord Shri Krishna and Shri Radha perform the Raas Leela here after midnight. After the Raas Leela, they rest in the Rang Mahal located within the Nidhivan premises. Even today, prasad (butter mixed with sugar) is offered in the Rang Mahal.

Beds are laid out for their rest, and in the morning, it appears that someone has indeed spent the night there and partaken of the prasad. The beds indicate that someone has rested there overnight, and the prasad has been consumed. The unique feature of the trees in Nidhivan, which covers an area of about two and a half acres, is that none of the tree branches touch the ground. Instead, the branches are bent downwards and interlocked with each other.

Within the Nidhivan complex, there are several notable places to visit, including the living samadhi of Swami Haridas Ji, the father of classical music and Dhrupad, the open area where Banke Bihari Ji is seen, and the Radharani Bansi Chor, among others. During a visit to Nidhivan, the priests and guides in Vrindavan share intriguing information. According to them, anyone who witnesses Lord Krishna’s Raas Leela in Nidhivan during the night becomes blind, mute, deaf, insane, or mad, so they cannot reveal the details of this divine dance to anyone.

The Enigma of Nidhivan: Do Radha and Krishna Truly Dance at Night?

Due to this belief, after 8 PM, all living creatures such as animals and birds, the monkeys that are seen during the day in the vicinity, devotees, and priests, all leave the area, and the main gate of the premises is locked. According to them, those who stay here after dark are freed from worldly bonds, and the samadhis in the premises are for those who have attained liberation.

During a tour of Nidhivan, guides explain that the 16,000 intertwined trees in Nidhivan represent the 16,000 queens who, after the Raas Leela, become one with Lord Krishna in the Rang Mahal. After the Raas Leela, Shri Radha and Shri Krishna rest in the Rang Mahal within the premises. At 5:30 AM, when the Rang Mahal opens, wet toothbrushes and scattered belongings are found, as if someone has rested on the bed during the night.

Vastu guru Kuldeep Saluja explains that the reality of Nidhivan is different from what it appears to be. The priests and guides of Nidhivan perpetuate this myth and deception for their own gain. In reality, Nidhivan’s irregularly shaped boundary walls are entirely made of brick. The main entrance to the premises is in the west.

The premises have an elevated northeastern corner and depressed eastern and northeastern corners. The guides who speak of 16,000 trees are also misleading, as the size of the premises is so small that even having 1,600 trees would be a challenge. The branches of the trees in Nidhivan are not thick enough to support monkeys during the night, despite what is seen during the day. Therefore, these creatures leave the premises at night.

The boundary walls surrounding Nidhivan are about 10 feet high, and there is a residential area outside. The inner parts of the boundary walls can be clearly seen from these houses. The area where the Raas Leela is said to take place is slightly south of the center of Nidhivan. If a blind, mute, or deaf person were to truly witness the Raas Leela or die in the process, the people residing in the nearby area would have left in fear. Inside Nidhivan, there are around 15-20 samadhis, including those of Swami Haridas Ji and other acharyas, with inscriptions of their names and death dates.

These inscriptions are also present on the stone slabs of the Uttar Pradesh Tourism Department. The guides claim that anyone who witnesses the Raas Leela becomes liberated from worldly bonds and that all the samadhis belong to those who have attained liberation. The wet toothbrushes and scattered belongings in the Rang Mahal contribute to the deception.

According to Vastu Shastra, a famous place must have a depression in its northern direction, and if water is present along with this depression, it enhances the fame of the place. The fame of places worldwide is established with this principle. Yamuna River, in the northern direction of Vrindavan, contributes to the fame of Vrindavan. Nidhivan is situated in the northern part of Vrindavan city, about 300 meters away from the Yamuna River. The northern direction’s vastunukoolta (favorability) adds to Nidhivan’s fame.

Nidhivan is also being attacked from the eastern and northeastern directions. All these favorable directions contribute to Nidhivan’s popularity.

FAQs about Nidhivan: The Sacred Grove of Radha and Krishna’s Raas Leela